(1) Field of the Invention
This invention relates to tire changing devices used to hold and guide a tire while being changed on an automobile or truck.
(2) Description of the Prior Art
Prior art devices disclose a variety of different tire guide and changing apparatus. See for example U.S. Pat. No. 2,910,201 on a tire changing aid which discloses a one-piece resilient tubular metal frame with rollers mounted thereon. The tire is held between and on the rollers.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,569,050 shows a lifting and transportation dolly used to move heavy cylindrical objects having a wheeled dolly with a plurality of rollers mounted in a curved relation to one another.
In U.S. Pat. No. 2,804,222 a mounting carriage for vehicle wheels is shown having a pair of spaced horizontally positioned cones for engagement with the tire. The cone-shape compensates for a variety of different sized tires and their special relation to the ground or support surface.
In applicant's device a pair of independently movable tire and wheel supporting guides are placed adjacent either side of the tire and resiliently held in place against the tire tread. One of the pair of guides has rollers in its tire engaging surface and the other has directional points. This arrangement allows for one-way rotation and vertical movement of the tire and wheel to facilitate alignment of the same with the hub of a vehicle.